Music and the Muses

What was the role of mousike in Greek life? Broader in its implications than the English 'music', mousike, the realm of the Muses, lay at the heart of Greek culture. Yet, despite its centrality, its social and intellectual implications have rarely been investigated. In these new and specially commissioned essays leading experts analyse the political, religious, and ethical significance of musical performance in the classical Athenian city, and open up a new field of investigation in cultural history.